Performance: Overall this laptop's performance was Poor, well below that of many other models and you may notice slowdowns in such things as boot-up, application launching, and video editing. Compared to other tested laptops, performance was okay but on the slow side for common tasks such as web browsing or video conferencing. You would notice this most when opening up applications. Performance was okay for light productivity but for some more demanding tasks may be very slow, particularly when calculating large data spreadsheets or using images in multiple documents, and it was so slow that it was difficult to manipulate images, edit videos, and calculate simulations.
Portability: This laptop is a Good choice for traveling, although not ideal. Battery life lasted 9.75 hours in a light load of web browsing tests, and 5.75 hours in a heavier load of 4K video playback tests. Results could get you through a typical workday, under a workload of mixed use. At 3 lbs, weight was typical for a laptop of this size category.
Ergonomics: Some features of the keyboard, touchpad, and labeling, were well-designed, and were comfortable or convenient to use. The keyboard has large keys and was comfortably sized. Its high contrast letters were easy to read. The power button was conveniently located, but its labeling was hard to read when the laptop is off. The touchpad was uncomfortably small, providing less space for gestures than most others tested.
Display: The display quality was Fair overall. Colors were in the ballpark, though not completely accurate. The display had a narrow viewing angle, so you'll have limited flexibility in how to position the screen for optimal viewability for one user, and it will be difficult for more than one person to look at the screen at the same time. Its display produces a smaller array of colors and has worse contrast than on most other tested laptops, which may lessen the realism of videos or slideshows.
Useful features and attributes on this model include: The 128GB solid-state drive uses less power and accesses data more quickly than conventional hard-disk drives. You can connect common external devices such as hard drives and Blu-ray burners using USB 3.1 for maximum performance. This laptop has a full-size HDMI port for connecting to an HDTV or monitor.
Downsides: There's no optical drive like a CD or DVD reader, so you'll have to buy an external drive if you need one.
